Photo credit: Nest Design Group
Hi ho, hi ho…it’s off to bed I go. Phew, have you been following me through Part I and Part II of this series? If not, you’ll wanna catch up by reading the first two now. This has been a bit eye-opening in terms of how many products I use in a single day! Suddenly, it becomes crystal clear how the average woman can easily be applying 515 chemicals daily to her skin if not cognizant of her choices.
Speaking of not being aware – for those of you who think just because a product is on TV, in a magazine ad or used by a celebrity, then it must be safe – cut that out right now! The ingredients will tell the story; not the price, where it’s sold or who is using it. Period. Currently, there is soo much crazy hype about this new product on the market called NeriumAD. A relative inquired about it because her neighbor was raving, “It’s going to be on The View!” So, I did some digging and it wasn’t pretty. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had red flag alerts with all of the hype. Apparently, Nerium oleander is ‘an evergreen shrub or small tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, toxic in all its parts’ (hmmm). As always, the concerns lie in the whole enchilada of ingredients. So, I created a toxicity report based on the ingredients myself (thank you amazing scientists at Environmental Working Group!) and you can view the report and its toxicity score of 5 HERE. This is considered moderately hazardous, however the Skin Deep Database wasn’t able to identify half of the ingredients (including the Nerium Oleander leaf extract), so chances are the score is actually higher with full transparency. With ingredients like ‘parfum’ ranked an 8 and Sodium Borate (borax) linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) – personally, it’s enough to make me steer very clear of this stuff.
O.k. – Now you know which anti-aging night cream I don’t use (and why). Now, back to catching some ZZzzzZZzz’s and the rest of my daily routine (now I’m really tired):
FACE
Cleanser – I alternate between a few including Arcona’s Toner Tea Bar and Arcona’s White Tea Purifying Cleanser (both antioxidant facial cleansers). I have been looking into trying the RE9 Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser by Arbonne, but I haven’t made up my mind just yet. UPDATE: My recent fave is the Purifying Rice Face Wash from PUR attitude. It’s a soap-free cleanser with purifying rice beads that don’t disrupt your skins natural pH. Watch HERE to learn more.
Arcona Gentle Solution (alternating with Magic White Ice – see Part I) – This repairs sun damage, resurfaces skin and combats free radical damage with an antioxidant complex, algae, amino acids and chlorophyll while you sleep (nice!).
Mudpot Natural Mud Mask (weekly) – LOVE this stuff!! It’s comprised of 100% organic, mineral-rich illite clay. Unlike chemical-heavy products that can damage healthy tissues and beneficial bacteria, illite clay works with the body to restore and balance skin in a natural way.
EYES
Arcona Eye Serum – This firming complex fights signs of aging, reduces puffiness and hydrates delicate eye area. It also moisturizes, retexturizes and alleviates fine lines and reduces puffiness and environmental damage with willowherb and organic coffee extracts.
LIPS
DIY – Peppermint Lip Balm. I love this recipe from our regular contributor, The Dabblist. With a mere 4 ingredients (none of which contain byproducts from the oil refining process), it requires about an hour to create and – wala! You are all set.
SUN
There are several I currently use including: Ava Anderson Sun + Raw Elements USA but, my absolute favorite is Goddess Garden. It is top notch, comprised of 92% certified organic ingredients and comes in a continuous spray which is so easy to apply!
Related Articles:
Shhhh! The Fragrance Industry: SECRETS Revealed
Frizz Free Can Be Flat-Out Dangerous!
A Day in the Life of Lisa: Discover My Daily Green Product Routine!
The Most Dangerous Chemicals in Your Beauty Products
A Day in the Life of Lisa: My Green Product Routine – Part II
DIY Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe
7 Nontoxic Perfume & Fragrance Alternatives
Pinkwashing: A Growing Concern
PARABENS: Hidden Health Hazards in Your Hygiene Routine
DEODORANT DANGERS: Ingredients to Lose & Those to Choose
HAIR
*Bonus* As promised, at the start of the series I said I would reveal the hair color I use and love. It is a product from Italy called Davines. I adore numerous things about this brand. One, they are family-owned and pride themselves on using high-grade, natural ingredients drawn from a wealth of herbs, flowers and fruits with a respect for the environment while honoring sustainability. They use zero impact products by offsetting carbon emissions and reducing plastic waste.
“By creating beauty sustainably, we encourage people to take care of themselves, of the environment in which they live & work, of the things they love.” ~Davines
Their Finest Pigments is Davines’ direct color line; formulated with up to 98% natural derived ingredients without ammonia and does not require an activator. Davines’ Authentic Formulas can be used indifferently on face, hair and body. These formulas contain from 98 to 100% natural origin ingredients and are free of SLS, SLES, sulphates, added parabens, artificial colouring, silicon, PEG and ethoxylates. All Authentic products are enriched with several organic farming active ingredients including: organic Sesame seed Oil, organic Jojoba Oil, organic Sunflower seed Oil and organic Shea Butter. All formulas contain organic Safflower Oil, rich in vitamins with its precious regenerating, anti-oxidising properties.
Davines isn’t 100% perfect, but I can attest it works better than henna hair dye (for me) with far less chemicals than traditional, professional lines found in the majority of salons across the country. Also, I don’t advise use of all of their lines (just those referenced above). Another suggestion, which I personally haven’t tried yet, is Organic Color System – the world’s first professional-only, ammonia-free, permanent hair color system that uses 100% certified organic ingredients. Sounds amazeballs and I look forward to hearing feedback from anyone who has used it below in the comments section!
Lastly, many companies are reformulating their products to remove DMDM Hydantoin, which releases cancer-causing formaldehyde, and four parabens linked to endocrine disruption. Revlon and L’Oreal are sticking with their formulations and leaving customers at risk. It’s time Revlon and L’Oreal remove dangerous ingredients from their products. Your voice matters. Please help by taking action HERE.
I LOVE this article and in fact just went back to re-read the other posts AND your deodorant post!! I was looking for more information on natural deo’s and really needed to stumble upon your site today. Thanks Lisa!
P.s. I think one of the best compliments is having a guest over who says: “Wow, I love how everything in your shower smells… and it’s EVEN organic” haha –thought you’d appreciate that. Organic and natural all the way <3
Hi Jenny~
Welcome to our site + thanks for your comments! So glad you found us 🙂 YES, I think we need to change the paradigm of what a real compliment to our home is. Not toxic cleaning smells – not polluted indoor air from VOC’s (ie: new home smell). Rather, what your guest had to say! Fresh, clean, organic, scents from 100% essential oils and organic products. We try to give people housewarming and/or wedding gifts that give back to their health such as a shower filter, plants that clean the indoor air, non-toxic cleaning kits, etc. Pay it, or in this case…green it forward!
Hey Lisa,
I’ve become a fan of this series. There’s SO much toxicity in pretty much everything we use store bought. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves and our surroundings toxic-free! And we also have to discourage all the big names who casually introduce the toxins into our homes!
I say that again – LOVE this series 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback Jane. Amen sister!! It’s all about baby steps, awareness and nooo guilt!! I am a big believer that we all must do the best we can -and- we can’t do it all at once. My journey towards optimal health and well-being has been a decade thus far and I still learn something new everyday! But, this is why we created this blog – to offer simple solutions to big problems that anyone can implement. We have DIY non-toxic cleaning recipes, DIY air freshener recipes and air purification tips & personal care recipes and soo much more that won’t break the bank. Inch by inch…it’s a cinch 🙂
Hi Lisa,
I love your beauty routine article and use some of the same products.
I’m very fortunate that my stylist special ordered the Organic Salon System for me to try 4 months ago. The product can only be ordered by a licensed cosmetologist and the initial purchase is about $300.00. (this is not a DIY color system)The company gives a 30day money back guarantee if for any reason the products doesn’t meet your needs.
With that said, my stylist has been using the product on my hair to highlight and paint my roots to cover the grey’s. I have to say that it doesn’t cover all the stubborn grey’s but it covers about 95% but then again even the Goldwell products didn’t cover 100% of the grey’s either. He was able to match my color exactly and it looks great. My stylist was impressed that the products work so well considering the ingredients are all plant based. My stylist did mention he cant use it on anyone who uses a lot of hair products on their hair because the product build up would inhibit the product working to its full potential. If any one has their stylist order it I would just make sure to have clean hair when you go for your appointment.
The company has a full line of hair styling products but you have to look closely at the labels because some of the hair products contain toxic chemicals such as their Keratin system.
Thanks Stella!
Great firsthand feedback on this product! I am curious if it contains henna of some sort. I stumbled across a great article at Buzz Feed which states something very interesting about henna: ‘Despite the “all natural” ingredients, there are almost always metallic salts used as pigmentation lurking in any henna dye that claims to dye your hair any color other than “reddish.” These dyes are known as compound henna hair products, and many of the boxes don’t even list metallic salts as an ingredient.’ Like your mention above, this article also suggests that can’t do the reverse either. If switching from a compound henna hair product to hydrogen peroxide based products – you must wait a year or two due to the chemical reaction that can occur! Who knew?
Lastly, and muy importante (for everyone): BEWARE of straightening processes. We have a fantastic post highlighting the dangers of professional straightening (and formaldehyde). Be sure to click the links for more info. Read here: https://ronandlisa.com/2013/05/20/frizz-free-flatout-dangerous/
Also, here is a great chart to reference in regards to toxic chemicals to avoid in salon products: http://www.womensvoices.org/avoid-toxic-chemicals/cosmetics-salons/toxic-chemicals-in-salon-products-workers/
WOW, who knew is right! Thanks for the info from Buzz Feed regarding the chemical reaction when switching from a compound henna to a hydrogen peroxide based product. I do have the ingredients list for OSS if your interested which includes mineral pigments up to 00.006 are used in some of the colors.
Thanks again for the article:)
Absolutely! Yes, please do share the ingredients here if possible – or – via email to us at: support@RonandLisa.com
Have a happy + healthy weekend!
Thanks for the list Stella! Here is the document with the full ingredients list that our readers can print out: http://www.rococosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/Organic-Color-Systems-Full-Ingredients-List.pdf
Also, you can view some of the ingredients online HERE.
*The company also states that the line is ‘100% free of ammonia, formaldehyde, resorcinol, parabens, thioglycolates, and other dangerous toxins commonly found in permanent hair color.’ Gotta love their full transparency!!
I was using ALL natural deodorant until I read the list. The few ingredients were natural, last one TEA…. I really though came from tea…. Thanks so much for open my eyes….
Alicia~
If you thought this – than many others probably did, too. Thanks for being honest about that 🙂 There is a new brand called Primal Pit Paste with natural + organic ingredients that also looks great: http://www.primalpitpaste.com/ I look forward to trying it and reporting back here.
This is wake up call to young mothers who think little baby girls looks so cute with poison nail color….. I gave my daughter in law some time ago a set of the London Town…. I think they used it ones…. 3 little babies that at 6 months old,..mom was putting nail polish on them…now the older one is 9 years old…Can you imaging this it just one little example of toxic in kids…….they do have it worst than we did when we were young…..
Londontown is great! Good for you for (trying) to be a positive influence. It can be frustrating helping others b/c at the end of the day, it is their choice to listen and make the changes necessary. Yes, it is vital today that parents be aware of what their children are being exposed to. Young girls are starting puberty earlier than ever today due to all of the hormone disrupting chemicals in personal care (and yes, even baby) products! Every step helps.
I so appreciate your post!!! I have tried so many organic and green lines- have settled on Shaklee for the most part, but recently introduced to Nerium AD, and I lOVE it!!! Its medical grade organic, no parabens, gluten, phthalalates, synthetic fragrances, propelene glycol, mineral oil, sulfates, paba, synthetic color, non GMO, no DEA and no animal testing… It WORKS and is SAFE- I often use coconut oil ( for body, hair care) and a mixture of other household foods for body care, this Nerium though- its amazing 🙂 thanks for posting what matters, we all appreciate it!!
Rachael,
We appreciate you dropping by and sharing your feedback, however your website clearly indicates you are an independent rep for Nerium AD. It would have been more transparent if you stated that upfront. Medical grade ‘organic’ does not exist. Certified organic ingredients are certified by the USDA – USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its National
Organic Program (NOP) regulation, 7 CFR Part 205. For more on this, visit here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5068442
*Additionally, I mentioned the red flags of the product above including the fact the product DOES contain fragrance (ie: parfum) ‘With ingredients like ‘parfum’ ranked an 8 and Sodium Borate (borax) linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) – personally, it’s enough to make me steer very clear of this stuff.’ We do wholeheartedly agree with coconut oil for body and hair!